Film 2439 - Now You See Me: Now You Don't

Intro: I always liked this franchise, especially the first movie, which I think I rewatched quite a lot back in the day. The second one wasn't as good, to be fair, but hey, I was still willing to give this third outing a go. It's just that I forgot to go to the movies before it was removed from the cinema's schedule...

Film 2439: "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" (2025), Ruben Fleischer
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: People are sh*tting on this movie a lot, but I found it to be exactly what I needed in that moment: good, lighthearted fun.
Yeah, it's not a masterpiece, but was it ever meant to be one? Not really. So I don't understand why "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" was somehow expected to be better or something that it isn’t, especially considering how the second one compared to the original. Let fun entertainment be just fun entertainment.
It's nice to see all the actors from the two previous films (but Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, and Daniel Radcliffe) coming back for this one, especially considering they came out in 2013 and 2016. A new addition to the big group of A-listers is Rosamund Pike playing the bad guy this time around. She's amazing in everything she does, so I'm super happy to see her joining a successful franchise. All in all, a great ensemble cast. At times, the dynamics between the different characters and the overall vibe of the movie(s) reminded me of the "Ocean's" trilogy.
Film 584 - Now You See Me - I maghi del crimine
Film 1120 - Now You See Me - I maghi del crimine
Film 1178 - Now You See Me 2
Film 2439 - Now You See Me: Now You Don't
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, Lizzy Caplan, Rosamund Pike, Morgan Freeman.
Box Office: $243.7 million
Worth a watch?: Same formula, same cast (with some returning to the franchise), and a lot of new magic. It's easy to watch and a good ride for what it is. Uncomplicated and enjoyable—if you liked the previous ones, you should enjoy this one too.
Awards: /
Key word: Diamond.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2425 - Wicked: For Good

Intro: I mean, I watched the first one so it made sense to go and watch the second one I guess. I wasn't thrilled though.

Film 2425: "Wicked: For Good" (2025), Jon M. Chu
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Debbi
Thoughts: I was never a massive fan of the first one, but at least "Wicked" had a bunch of good songs, two of which I actually knew. This second one cannot say the same.
I understand it was a huge disappointment for fans to see both Cynthia + Ariana and the movie itself get snubbed at the Oscars this year, but honestly, I can see why. This "Wicked: For Good" isn't as good as the previous film. The ending is a bit anticlimactic and misses the spark and grandeur of the "Defying Gravity" closing song, none of the new songs created for this film are memorable, and since both movies were shot back-to-back, I can see why not a lot of Academy members felt the need to reward last year's winners with a new shiny Oscar for the same work they already got recognized for (specifically, last year "Wicked" won Best Costume Design and Best Production Design out of its 10 nominations).
I'll be honest, I didn't particularly enjoy "Wicked: For Good". I thought it was too long and boring at times. It's not the movie's fault—I think the second half of the original musical this is taken from is weaker than the first act anyway. I think they did the best they could here. Not my cup of tea.
Film 2332 - Wicked
Film 2425 - Wicked: For Good
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Colman Domingo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum.
Box Office: $533.7 million
Worth a watch?: Just for fans of the previous movie, Cynthia/Ariana, or "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" lore.
Awards: 2 BAFTA nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Make Up & Hair. 5 Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Supporting Actress, Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, and Best Original Song (for both "No Place Like Home" and "The Girl in the Bubble").
Key word: Lies.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2335 - Hot Frosty

Intro: Never in a million years I would have imagined this movie to be my first review of the year!

Film 2335: "Hot Frosty" (2024), Jerry Ciccoritti
Watched on: From the projector
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: No need to go too deep into this movie, as I believe anyone can imagine that "Hot Frosty" isn't anything groundbreaking or even good. Plot-wise it makes no sense and, believe me, it is not becuase he's a snowman that turns into a human thanks to a magical scarf: there are so many inconsistencies in this screenplay, too many to list anyway. I'll just say this: he turns human and can understand the concept of love and death no problem with no need for explaination, but he struggles to grasp the meaning of the most basic words.
With that said, that doesn't take away from the fact that "Hot Frosty" is such a silly watch it's entertaining. As it makes lesser and lesser sense, it gets funnier and more upsurd and, if you're into these plotless silly Christams movies, than you're up for a tread because there's a lot to laught about!
Pretty iconic moment when Lacey Chabert sees a scene from "Mean Girls" and says that Lindsay Lohan's character reminds her of a girl from her school.
Also, worth mentioning that Dustin Milligan looks weirdly sick in this movie, ripped as ever before, yet somehow disturbingly skinny. This man here doesn't look like the same person from "Schitt's Creek" and it's strange.
Cast: Lacey Chabert, Dustin Milligan, Katy Mixon Greer, Lauren Holly, Chrishell Stause, Joe Lo Truglio, Craig Robinson.
Box Office: /
Worth a watch?: Netflix has been trying so hard to replace Hallmark's Christmas movies with its own for the past few years it's insane. And I think it's kinda working. To be added to the endless list of movies only good comes Christmas time, "Hot Frosty" isn't very good nor particularly compelling, yet there's something about it that makes it a great movie pick to watch with friends (and to laught about). And there's nothing wrong with it.
Awards: /
Key word: Red scarf.
Trailer
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Bengi